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Unset's avatar

It's silly corporate messaging. The fact that the so-called "social justice movement" of 2010s vintage is so easily co-opted is testament to its vapidity. It doesn't take much to be an effective wokewasher.

Norman Oder's avatar

As I will write, they have spent $$$ on nonprofits and bolstering small businesses, which is harder to dismiss... but this is so public that I wanted to address it up front.

Don Doe's avatar

Very well done!

Since it’s installation When I see the neon slogan there’s always in the distance another signage “The Barclays Center” signage. It’s yet another company, a bank, trying to be cleansed of its part in the slave trade. Does the slogan handle the heavy lifting or is it, as you’ve brilliantly laid out, or just glossed over the high price Brooklyn community has paid and continues to pay a private company’s increasing profits.

Norman Oder's avatar

Thanks for reading, and commenting.

I don't see the slogan as particularly cleansing Barclays Bank, which has many reasons to be tainted, notably, as I wrote, because it admitted being a felon: https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2015/09/opinion-when-barclays-admitted-a-felony-it-should-have-lost-the-brooklyn-arena/179953/

I see it more as cleansing the venue Barclays Center.

Maybe Barclays Bank is a collateral beneficiary.

ASensibleMan's avatar

You know who don't belong here? Joe and Clara Tsai.